Visiting Graves and Lamenting at Them

Question:
He says: It is our custom in our village that the people of the village go to the cemetery on a specific day, then they head to the graves of their relatives, and there the lamentation begins, and so on. Is this a type of criticism of the Islamic Shari'ah?

Answer:
Visiting graves is recommended and prescribed for two reasons: to take a lesson and be admonished by the state of the dead, and to greet the believers and make du'a' (supplication) for them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It reminds you of the Hereafter. Visiting graves is recommended. This is especially true for visiting the graves of close relatives, such as parents, brothers, and sisters. Then, visiting the graves of Muslims in general is done for these two reasons: taking a lesson and being admonished, and making du'a' for the dead and greeting them.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you.